The Sunrise Tanning Shop, in King Oswy Drive, Hartlepool, is back bigger and brighter after overcoming the disruption caused by a fire at the premises three months ago.

The Mail reported at the time that three fire engines, including two from Stranton Fire Station and one from Billingham, rushed to the scene and there was extensive smoke damage caused by the blaze, around 4.30pm on Sunday, June 2.

But shop bosses are now looking forward to the next chapter in their four-year trading history, having re-opened with a revamp and new look.

Shari Spowart, 29, who co-owns the shop with her mum Carole McKenna, 59, said the months away had been “stressful”, organising repairs and a refit.

Sunrise’s three full-time staff and a cover worker remained on full-pay while the shop was being repaired.

Shari said the blaze had started in one of the sunbeds, and fire chiefs who carried out an investigation said the cause had just been “one of those things”.

The mum-of-two added: “A small part of the shop was fire damaged and the rest was smoke and water-damaged.

“But the full shop has been replaced from the ceiling downwards.

“Everything is brand-new, we didn’t want anything that was there before, we thought ‘if we are going to do it, we are going to do it properly’”.

She added: “We were very grateful that our customers and staff were all outside before the fire happened, and I’d like to thank our customers for continuing to support us.

“Hopefully this can be a fresh start, and my mum can take a back-seat.”

Kazoodles Hair Design, above the tanning shop, which was also affected by the fire, has also had a revamp following the blaze.

Owner Karen Breward, from Peterlee, said the fire caused inconvenience for her and her niece and part-time stylist Donna Brumwell, 30.

She added: “It was extensively damaged by smoke and we were shut for three-and-a-half weeks – all my stock was affected and everything had to be rewired.

“Thankfully it was a Sunday so we were closed and no-one was hurt.”

The 43-year-old mum-of-two, who has worked at the salon for 23 years and owned it for 13, added: “It feels fabulous to be open again, it was very traumatic being closed.”